Haitian women journalists? Haiti’s women are calling the shots in the world of media. In several cases, they work for established entities. In other instances, they’ve created their own platforms. But who are these women? Here are 10 Haiti-based women of media you should know about…and in no particular order…
1. Liliane Pierre-Paul
The book Media Report to Women states that Pierre-Paul begun her career as a correspondent for Radio Inter, a radio station popular in Haiti in the 1980s. According to this same source, in the early 1990s, she was the recipient of the IWMF Courage in Journalism Award for her journalism abilities and accomplishments during Haiti’s unstable times.
Pierre-Paul has gone through trials and tribulations over her craft. According to John Libbey who wrote the special report Freedom of the Press Throughout the World in 1993 Pierre-Paul was arrested at Malpasse, a city near the Dominican border while on her way to a conference for Latin American journalists by soldiers. According to Report on the Situation of Human Rights in Haiti, she was accused of terrorism just for attending the conference. Writing in the Miami Herald, Robert McFadden reported that in February of 2016, Pierre-Paul was the subject of a controversial song by outgoing Haitipresident Michel Martelly.
Known as one of the First Ladies of Haitian Media, Pierre-Paul is the founder and director of Radio Kiskeya, one of Haiti’s leading and most authoritative radio stations.
[Photo of Liliane Pierre-Paul via MagHaiti]
2. Nancy Roc 
Roc uses her large media following to bring attention to issues in Haiti. She also manages a self-named website that aggregates news about Haiti and other parts of the world. She’s a Communication Specialist, and an expert on International Relations and Humanitarian Affairs and Women’s Rights. Ms. Roc is the author of several books, including the French language tome Les grands dossiers de Métropolis (The Metropolis Files), a volume of her news commentary. A respected and esteemed journalist, Ms. Roc has worked with Radio Metropole, one of Haiti’s oldest existing radio stations. She is a graduate of the University of Arizona and the University of Quebec Montreal.
Roc’s career as a communicator has taken her to Ghana, Burundi and Canada.
CLICK HERE to visit Nancy Roc’s website! CLICK HERE to keep up with her tweets on Twitter.
3. Tim-Valda Jean
A seasoned journalist, Valda hosts a radio show entitled “Tim and Friends”, recorded in Port-au-Prince on the radio station 88.1 Visa FM. On the show, she interviews Haiti’s celebrities, experts discussing national issues (such as Haitian migration to Chile and other parts of South America), and local concerns. The media maven is also affiliated with Ayiti Sondaj, Haiti’s answer to the Gallup Poll and JD Power and Associates surveys. The company gathers opinions from the island’s population about everything from color and shade prejudice to thoughts on contemporary social issues.
Jean has a solid blog on WordPress where she discusses culture, entertainment and social issues. She graduated from Haiti’s State University with a degree in Psychology.
CLICK HERE to visit her website (French).
4. Marie-Raphaelle Pierre 
News Director at Radio Ibo, a radio station based in Port-au-Prince, Pierre initially launched her career in broadcasting media at Radio Haiti Inter. According to Le Nouvelliste, Pierre first thought of radio broadcasting as a potential field when one of her English class teachers at a high school in Port-au-Prince told her she had a voice made for radio. In the late 1990s, she worked alongside Jean-Leopold Dominique and Michelle Montas, the couple who are the subject of Jonathan Demme’s film The Agronomist. She later worked at another radio station called Radio Solidarite, before assuming newsroom director duties at Radio Ibo.
According to Multimedia Haiti, Pierre holds a leadership role in the Association of Haitian Journalists (known by its French name Association des journalistes haïtiens).
5. Winnie Hugot Gabriel
Hugot Gabriel is a lawyer by trade, and has had an illustrious career as a print journalist. She once served as the President of Haiti’s chapter of Toastmasters International. Nominated for the prestigious Prix Decouvrir Haiti for her accomplishments as a journalist, Perrin hosted a law and ethics talk show on the television network Tele Kiskeya. She’s also a contributor of the publication Ticket Magazine, Haiti’s version of People and Entertainment Weekly magazine
Hugot Gabriel graduated from Haiti’s National School of Law, and studied international law at the University of Nantes France.
[Photo Credit: Stephane]
Well, Haiti sure has a lot of women journalists! Be sure to check out their work and their profiles via the links provided! Be on the lookout for Part II which will cover 6-12.
This has been another episode of Straight Outta Haiti, in which..in which your fave chick Kreyolicious highlights talents emerging directly from the island! Today’s episode just happens to be about Haitian women journalists. CLICK HERE to read other episodes in this series.
